Our year in ASL

[Michael R]

I write "Our" because I hope to hear from others about their ASL for 2018.

I played 53 matches and won 34 of them (yay; over .500). I played against Magnus Rimvall of Sweden the most at 12 times. Next most frequent opponent was Bruno L'Archeveque of Montréal at 10 times. The only other repeat opponent was Erik Lindblad also of Montréal at 4 matches. Well, I also finished two PBEM matches with Jeff Sewell. The rest of the matches were from tournaments or PBEM games. I went to the Chicago ASL Open for the first time, as well as the Spreading Blaze tournament in Atlanta for the first time. I attended the Canadian ASL Open and the New York ASL Championship. I missed ASLOK in 2018 because I try to keep to a budget and it would have put me over.

I had many sessions with Jean-Pierre Raymond of Montréal to play-test Ortona scenarios. We are now at number 7 of 10. These are not included in the above stats.

I take this opportunity to thank everyone for providing online ASL content here and elsewhere for me and others to enjoy.

 

[buser333]

I broke my record of 105 games from last year by playing 111 this year, plus another 4 playtests (a first for me). I got to play 25 different opponents, most of them live VASL, with 22 games against Magnus Rimvall and 8 versus Scott Sherer (my two most regular opponents). Scott and I didn't get as many games in as usual because we were on a mission to tackle as many new rules as possible. We got through caves, beach landings, and desert (Bloody Red Beach took a looooong time, but it was worth it!). I also had the pleasure of playing a rare FtF when he was on vacation here over the summer. I have a feeling next year we will tackle a CG. It will be tough to top this year's output in the coming year, but I sure will try!

 

[Honza]

It was a quiet year for me. Haven't played any ASL since Spring. The CG that I started is still set up in my bedroom. It is a Berlin homemade CG set on the RB map. I'm hoping to get back into it soon.

 

[Tycho]

The Berserk Commissars group centered in the Portland-Vancouver metro area is active again. A bunch of new blood (some to the club, some to ASL) and especially a guy who actually likes to organize things (thanks, Chris!) has us back to monthly meetings. We also resurrected Wild West Fest in October after about a decade hiatus and had a good turnout (probably 20+ over the weekend).

Personally I finished 1 CG and 40 scenarios and won a little over half of them (though I went 1-4 at WWF). For 2019 Lyle and I plan to work our way through the Desert rules. I expect Walter's green wave will finish off my MiB in the KGP I CG soon, after which we'll probably start KGP III (we already played II back in 2016-17).

 

[A_T_Great]

It was a quiet year for me. Haven't played any ASL since Spring. The CG that I started is still set up in my bedroom. It is a Berlin homemade CG set on the RB map. I'm hoping to get back into it soon.

If you are interested, there is a to the Reichstag Campaign by Taqtiques.

 

[Honza]

If you are interested, there is a to the Reichstag Campaign by Taqtiques.

I know the one....although I prefer something bigger. Thanks.

 

[hongkongwargamer]

I finished 14 scenarios this year and won 5 of them. I also finished the BFP Objective: Schmidt CG, done the first CG "day" in Suicide Creek and the 2nd CG Assault Period (Night) in Gavutu-Tanambogo.

I had more experience with Night fighting, especially interesting are the night landing at Gavutu-Tanambogo and 40 Fort MacGregor (haven't finished, also my first foray into Desert). I also gained more experience with AFVs although that's not saying much as AFV waters run deep! I have also started playing BFP Operation Cobra front to back. Bocages can be frustrating but infinitely entertaining.

I am blessed with a terrific group of friends around the world. Weekly chats and emails (PBeMs) with these folks made a challenging year SO much better. I even met one of them for dinner earlier this month!

I am particularly psyched to see my name listed as a proofreader for Forgotten Wars. I also made the graphics for all the CPVA counters under my apprenticeship with Al Cannamore. Al's adding VASL 'smarts' to the counters and is putting the extension together. Without the VASL crew, I wouldn't be playing ASL.

I am carrying these games into the new year:
Live
- 3rd CG Assault Period, Gavutu-Tanambogo
- BPF16 Snake Charmed (bocage!!)
- DBP16 Under Old Baldy (Dien Bien Phu)
- FrF98 Amerikanskaya Suka
PBeM
- 40 Fort MacGregor
- DB002 Sochaczew
- FrF2 Maczek Fire Brigade
- FrF45 Totensonntag
- DB132 One Last Victory

I have these games on "Pause" :
- Those Ragged Bloody Heroes CG
- Dinant CG PT
- Berlin CG PT

These are my 2019 ASL objectives :
- Learn to play AFV better, with all its delightful nuances (BFP!)
- Play more Dispatches from the Bunker
- Play more Friendly Fire
- Play LFT4 Russian Civil War (and looking forward to LFT14)

I wish to see great successes in both the ASL tourney in Chengdu and the Malaya Madmen in Singapore.

Lastly I wish you all the very best. I wish you all the very best in life, and to your family as well, so much so that we continue to see each other across our mapboards in the year ahead.

Rgds Jack

 

[witchbottles]

2018 - 9 scenarios completed , 5 PBEM, 3 VASL and 1 FTF. Add to this 7 playtest scenarios completed (6 for BFP and 1 for LCP), and one CG completed. (BRT CG I).

also some bit of work on the Berlin design, proofing for several projects for BFP and ASL Italia.

Finally, brought 2 new players into the hobby and got them playing ASL regularly via VASL and FTF in their area.

Sum total of my ASL time - priceless.

Happy 2019 everyone!

 

[Spencer Armstrong]

I played around 20 games against around 5 opponents. I dropped VASLeague early when I realized I don't want to play against random people very much. I'm much happier playing casually against guys I know. Means I'll never be as good as I was at my peak, but I enjoy each game much more. C'est la guerre.

 

[von Marwitz]

My ASL-year of 2018 saw 31 games played (17 wins, 1 draw, 13 losses) and a playtest for FrF.
I played 12 different opponents and attended one tournament - Grenadier, as every year.

Most fun games were:

SP276 Triumphant Return (vs. Michael Koch)
SP202 Fiery Finale (vs. Chris Hofland)
AP59 Taking Heads (vs. Alex Koestler)
FrF86 Belgian Tigers (vs. David Wallace)
J193 Raff's Rules (vs. David Wallace)
FT81 Dubrovka (vs. Francois Boudrenghien)

and the playtest for

FrF100 Deutsch Lesson (vs. David Wallace)


On the purchase side, it was all the new stuff from MMP, BFP, LFT. Could not lay my hands on the latest FrF and some Schwerpunkt stuff yet. Furthermore some stuff by Lone Canuck and some other TPPs, mainly scenario packs. Ah, yes. And an Oregon Deluxe 2mm counter clipper...

On the OCD side, I started clipping counters. After completing my 'perfect' RAACO storage two years ago, I had no choice, did I? Having begun in October, I am now halfway through with my roughly double-OoB. So if I keep on like this - more like a couple of days with high activity separated by periods of pausing - I might be done by Easter or next summer at the latest.


von Marwitz

 

[Jacometti]

2018 was probably the best year of my ASL life.....

I played roughly 70 games, of which half were DTF playtests with Chris. I played 11 games with 5 different opponents around Nova Scotia, one game on VASL with George in Tokyo, and around 20 at the two tournaments I attended (ASLOK and Albany).

Completing the development, launching and enjoying the reception and reactions to our Death To Fascism pack were the highlight of the year, by a mile. All my high expectations were exceeded. I guess if you have so much fun making something, it is bound to be enjoyed by others, too.

Thanks to everyone I have met in ASL this year for their encouragement, comments, support, inputs and challenges....both on and off the boards.

Chris Mazzei arrives this evening in Canada - from 1-4 January we will hole up in a snow-covered cottage here in Nova Scotia. We will playtest at least 4 different scenarios for the Death To Fascism sequel......and I am sure we will have a fantastic start to the new year.

Wishing all of you a happy ASL year, filled with worthy opponents, outrageous twists of fortune and scenarios that test your mind, spirit and soul. Or just fun ones, really.

 

[asloser]

2018 was a comeback year for me.

Between 1998-2009 I normally averaged 40-50 published scenarios/year, plus lots of playtesting and other design work for what became Hakkaa Päälle! and attended at least one tournament/year. For various reasons, inclunding a slight ASL burnout induced by the last days of HP playtest, between 2010-2017 I did not play that actively averaging 20 scenarios /year, did not work on design or playtest and attended only the Finnish tournament for 2-3 times in total.

Early in 2018 I decided to make a change of that- bought my plane ticket to ASLOK for the first time ever. I had the time of my life there and met with many people I have interacted over the years and also made many brand new friends and contacts.

My first games for 2018 were played on 18th of May and after that I have played a total of 45 published scenarios and on top of that played 4-5 playtest games on scenarios designed by myself, Lars Thuring or Brian Marzutas - of course attending to ASLOK helped put the number up. But I must say the last 8 months have been among the best times I've had as an ASL player.

 

[Khill]

we are quite fortunate that we have such a great game to bring together such an amazing community. I was trying to square-away my ASL kit the other day and reflected back on the days when there was not nearly as much ASL material available. I went through scenarios organizing and adding-to each binder: Action Packs, Journals, Winter Offensive, ASLOK, and the Dispatches from the Bunker Binder, and the Friendly Fire, and LFT, Lone Canuck binder, the Bounding Fire Binder, HOB binder, SP... there is a great deal to be thankful for such a plethora of great ASL kit. I am thankful for having some great opponents relatively close and the opportunity to get to Noreaster, Tussle in the Tundra, and Albany tournaments. Looking forward to Noreaster 2019, CASLO in Ottawa 2019, Tussle in the Tundra summer '19, and Albany '19, God willing

 

[Roy]

A lot of ASL for me. Not sure of the count. Lost most of them, but peppered a few victories in there.
Attended my 18th straight Texas ASL tournament.
Started two campaign games.
Met lots of great people.

Good enough.

 

[fenyan]

You could call me a “casual” ASL player, playing in spurts with three-to-four year breaks away from the game between 2005, 2010, 2014 and this year. Different reasons for these breaks included other gaming interests and work schedules. I got back into the game because a longtime gaming acquaintance wanted to learn the game. Aren’t new players great?

Like others, this was a great year for me for ASL with 22 games played. I felt I had progressed quite a bit in my learning of rules and tactics. As a result, I experienced many more close games (seven scenarios being decided on win-or-lose last moves/close combats).

The most memorable venue was a game with (another) friend who wanted to learn ASL. We played while backpacking in the Sierra Nevada. Camped by a stream, we set up Gavin Take in the afternoon under the shade of pine trees. I had packed the mapboard and LFT Rat Pocket Chart in a plastic document holder, and in a Ziploc bag were the counters and dice. Large black ants crossing the map made my friend remark about “armored cars patrolling the streets” and an afternoon shower made us rush the game into a tent for shelter (our tents were small and light and not big enough to play in). Surrounded by the allure of the wilderness, it was still fun to become immersed in our little cardboard game. After we had put away the game, I was shocked to later find a 10-2 leader I had almost left amongst the pine needles on the ground.

 

[Hovned31]

I played 24 scenarios and attended ASLOK this year. I went .500 with 11 wins, 11 losses. Two scenarios were picked up before we could finish and we were unable to keep them set up so I'll call those draws. I have one scenario in progress (the Sixth Blow, on Turn 4 and hope to finish it in January). One more Scenario (First Timers) is set up and awaiting play in January as well. All my games are FtF and I managed to make it into the final round at an ASLOK mini but lost the last scenario in a very hard fought playing of Commando Schenke.

Looking forward to more games in 2019 and hopefully ASLOK as well.

 

[igycrctl]

Played 71 times this year, up from 30 last year. Not too bad when you consider that my first ever game was in June of 2017.

 

[Thunderchief]

This year I played 56 scenarios of which I won 21. That's a normal win/loss for me.
23 were FTF, the rest were VASL or VASL PBEM.
Of those 56 played, 21 were at ASLOK - my first visit since 2010.
Poland in Flames (7) and Hatten in Flames (5) were the packs I played most often.

56 is the equal most scenarios I've played in a year - same as my 2010 effort.
2019 will not match 2018, there won't be another ASLOK for a while and I've got more books to write!

At this rate I won't reach my goal of 1000 games by the time I am 50, but that's ok.

But I will keep playing.

 

[lionelc62]

Played around 60 games this year, including 30+ playtests for LFT 14 and future LFT products.
Most games were with VASL / PBEM and I enjoyed them all !

 

[GeorgeBates]

24 matches completed in 2018 - 15 wins, 7 losses, 2 draws (as Soviets in the original (J83) version of "Bloody Nose."
2 more in progress that will go on the 2019 books.

Thanks to opponents Milton Soong, Akira Lu, Aaron Cleavin, John Brown, INABA Shinji, Brian Wiersma, SAWAMURA Keiji, Magnus Rimvall, Peter Palmer, Ivan Kent, Joe Moro, MISE Masakatsu, Mike Reed, Peter Struif, Pablo Garcia, James Wolstenhome and Murray McCloskey.

Playtest and development salute to Carl Nogueira, who always seems to find the time. Special appreciation to Ivan for allowing "Careless At Bakri" to be featured in his Deathwish VASL tournament. Deepest gratitude to this year's playtest contributors Fred Schwarz, Sawamura-san, John, Steve Bond, Mike LaPlante, Gary Vic, Steve "Steamroller" Steinmetz, and Darryl Lundy.